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;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) | A UNIQUE IMPERFORATE PROOF SHEET SHOWING THE UNISSUED TRANSPOSED AMERICAN PRESIDENTS ERROR 1975 200th Anniversary of American Independence issue: Two differing mint imperforate proof sheets exist (this one having DARKER PINK BACKGROUND TO LOWER MIDDLE LABEL than found on the issued stamps, the reason unknown) showing wrong portrait of Franklin Pierce on the 5c, and wrong portrait of Andrew Johnson on the 10c (transposed portraits error). The other transposed Presidents error sheet has lighter black backgrounds behind portraits of the Presidents than found on issued stamps. This sheet is uniquely marked "Q541 BLACKS" in lower selvedge being the House of Questa printers reference number presumed connected with the black printing. The error was noted after completion of printing with ALL SHEETS DESTROYED by the Crown Agents and printers, and the corrected printing sent to St. Vincent (the two error sheets accepted by O.J. Urch, philatelic adviser, from Prime minister of St. Vincent Milton Cato per "accountable items" original envelope which is enclosed). £1525 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | A UNIQUE IMPERFORATE PROOF SHEET SHOWING THE UNISSUED TRANSPOSED AMERICAN PRESIDENTS ERROR 1975 200th Anniversary of American Independence issue: Two differing mint imperforate proof sheets exist (this one having LIGHTER BLACK BACKGROUND behind portraits of those Presidents than found on the issued stamps) showing wrong portrait of Franklin Pierce on the 5c, and wrong portrait of Andrew Johnson on the 10c (transposed portraits error). The other transposed Presidents error sheet has a much darker pink background to the lower middle label than found on issues stamps, and is marked "Q541 BLACKS" in lower white selvedge being the House of Questa printers reference number presumed connected with the black printing. The error was noted after completion of printing with ALL SHEETS DESTROYED by the Crown Agents and printers, and the corrected printing sent to St. Vincent (the two error sheets accepted by O.J. Urch, philatelic adviser, from Prime Minister of St. Vincent Milton Cato per photocopy of "accountable items" text enclosed). £1500 |
;) ;) | 10 (used Brighton), TASMANIA postal history 1861 cover "per Tasmania" to James S. Harrison, 22 Charlotte Place, Sydney, New South Wales with Chalon 2d slate-green pair (uneven setting), single superbly pmk'd "10" numerals with red PRE-PAID 4 SP 1861 alongside, reverse Sydney C/SP 9 61 arrival. James Start Harrison (1837-1902) arrived Sydney in January 1849 with his parents after a voyage of 157 days on board the Penyard Park and eventually took up the profession of an accountant working with the new partnership formed 1861 of Alexander Learmonth & Samuel Dickinson, merchant and commission agents. He is best known as a philanthropist and local newspapers capture his interests and service given to the Sydney Ragged Schools, Sydney City Mission, Sydney Female Refuge. £3500 |
;) | 13 used Kingston, TASMANIA postal history (Ex TINSLEY, BOMBIERI, BLAKE, CHARTWELL) 1864 drop letter mailed within Kingston with Chalon 1d brick-red imperforate superbly tied "13" addressed Mr. Dixon, Browns River with postmaster's manuscript "Kingston 11-1-64" alongside, no reverse markings. Ex TINSLEY, BOMBIERI, BLAKE, CHARTWELL. The settlement known as Browns River had its name changed to Kingston by the Governor of Tasmania in 1851, so the postmaster followed this edict which was not acknowledged until a Government Gazette in 1881. It was then changed to Kingston Beach in 1900. £825 |
;) | 26 used Don, TASMANIA postal history 1866 mourning cover to John Taylor in Newcastle on Tyne with Chalon 6d grey watermark double-lined numeral "6" with postmaster's manuscript "Don 16/5/66" alongside, reverse red Launceston MY 17 1866 and Newcastle-on-Tyne H/JY 20 66. £480 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | 74 used Hobart, TASMANIA postal history 1860 cover to The Right Reverend Bishop Goold in Melbourne, Victoria with Chalon 2d green showing some DOUBLING OF VALUE TABLET and engine turning and Chalon 4d (pencil marked "cobalt blue, fluorescent ink" on reverse) pmk'd Hobart "74" with part red Hobart Town alongside, reverse with ornate seal impressed black wax and Melbourne A/FE 4 60 arrival. James Alipius Goold, Roman Catholic Archbishop, was born NO 4 1812 into a prosperous family in Cork, Ireland. Ordained in Rome, returned Ireland where he gained permission to volunteer for missionary work in New South Wales arriving Sydney FE 24 1838. Visited Ballarat gold fields 1854 and 1855 and pacified Catholic miners particularly after the Eureka affair. £925 |
;) | 52 used Launceston, TASMANIA postal history 1875 cover to London with mixed franking Chalon 6d and QV 3d Sideface pmk'd "52" with Launceston L/JN 10 75 and London AU 3 75 alongside. £525 |
;) ;) | 52 used LAUNCESTON DROP LETTER CIRCULAR, Tasmania postal history (Ex CHARTWELL) 1867 printed circular from William A. Collins requesting William John Johnstone, St. John Street (Launceston) to attend a Special Meeting of the Committee of the Northern Railway Leauge at the Mechanics Institute mailed with Chalon 1d brick-red P.10 tied upright Launceston "52" numeral. Ex CHARTWELL £650 |
;) ;) ;) | BLUED PAPER, CONSTANTINOPLE postal history 1875 cover to Stillorgan, Co. Dublin, Ireland with BLUED PAPER GB QV 2½d rosy mauve tied Constantinople "C" with red AU 14 1876/A despatch alongside, backstamped BLACKROCK and STILLORGAN arrivals with face manuscript appended "Received at Mainz (Germany) 27 Aug 1876". £425 |
;) ;) | BLUED PAPER, GIBRALTAR postal history (Ex John GRIFFITHS) 1875 mourning wrapper from Francis Booth & Co to Malta with BLUED PAPER GB QV 2½d rosy mauve tied "A26" A/OC 4 75 duplex with B/OC 4 75 cds alongside, very fine Malta A/OC 16 75 arrival backstamp which displays. 1960 BPA Certificate. Ex John O. GRIFFITHS. £525 |
;) | GIBRALTAR postal history 1859 land route "via France" to London with GB QV 1d red strip of three, GB 6d lilac pmk'd "G" with greenish-blue A/JA 7 59 despatch, backstamped London JA 17 59 arrival. Flap with tape stain. £825 |
;) ;) ;) | VICTORIOUS "PORTLAND" RAN AGROUND in RIVER SHANNON and STRANDED, ANTIGUA INTERRUPTED PACKET MAIL This entire is headed “Antigua 28th Octr 1796” and marked “by Portland packet” from the Tudway correspondence to Wells, Somersetshire with handstruck S:KITTS rated 2/- changed 3/2. The “Portland” had left Falmouth with the mails for the Leeward Islands on AU 29 1796 and when off Barbados was attacked by a French privateer in which she beat off the attacker and preserved the mails. The Cook, William Thomson, lost a leg during the fighting and subsequently died of his injuries. In calm seas, near Guadeloupe, another armed privateer, the “Temeraire”, of much superior force gave chase. At daylight on October 18th the enemy hoisted her French colours and came alongside to board. The Master, Nathaniel Taylor, organised the passengers to open their musquetry upon her killing or wounding 41 of 68 on board. Captain Taylor was killed in the moment of victory. The “Temeraire” was taken into Montserrat as a prize, and the “Portland” left St. Kitts on 30th October bound Falmouth. Due a shortage of fresh water she put into the River Shannon on the west coast of Ireland on 6th January 1797. Sailing shortly after she had to put back because of bad weather, and whilst sheltering she was driven from her moorings and higher up the river ran aground. Stranded and waiting to be refloated on the Spring Tides she eventually arrived at Falmouth on 25th March. In the interim the Mate, Richard Leonard, personally took the mails from Limerick to London and they were placed in the post JA 14 97 per backstamp. This is the first recorded “Portland” interrupted mail entire clearly documenting its journey. The full story can be found in “The History of the Sailing Packets to the West Indies” by Len Britnor Pages 72-73 published by the BWI Study Circle 1973. £2250 |
;) | MONTSERRAT postal history TOO LATE FOR INCLUSION FIRST SAILING OF JY 12 1876 BEARING MONTSERRAT 1st PRINTING QV 1d, 6d ADHESIVES: 1876 cover endorsed "J.S. Hollings Montserrat W.I" at lower left from the known correspondence to James Sanderson, Bridgetown, Barbados conveyed "loose" (as too late for sealed bag) by the Cassin contract mailboat to St. Kitts where inter-island rate QV 6d green affixed and tied by dumb circled single central bar cancel with ST. KITTS JY 13 76 despatch rated red "4". An exquisite and most unusual exhibition piece. Ex HART. The 1st printings Montserrat QV 1d red (13,200 stamps) and QV 6d green (6,960 stamps) Crown CC Perf.14 were invoiced JU 12 1876 and would have arrived in time for the JY 12 1876 first sailing bearing Montserrat's own adhesives. Montserrat had lost its steamer service in 1852 and for many years thereafter the mails were conveyed to and from St. Kitts by means of sailing vessels. From SP 26 1864 to DE 31 1879 Frederick Slater Cassin, of Antigua, held the contract to convey the mails between St. Kitts, Nevis and Montserrat, for which he received a subsidy of £490 a year. £4250 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | ST. BARTHELEMY (French reoccupation, 2nd year) postal history 1879 entire headed "St Barths 11 Septr 1879" to The Post Master, Grand Turk, Turks Islands, enclosing a letter for Mr. Gibbs (presumed George Gibbs, the Salt Merchant, and Commission and Forwarding Agent at Grand Turk). Conveyed to neighbouring St. Christopher for onward transit where QV 6d green affixed and tied by the "APMY" dumb cds with weak ST. KITTS despatch (thought SP 12 79), rated red "4". On arrival most unusually handstruck internally with pristine TURK'S-ISLAND code removed/OC 10 79 cds probably as a record of receipt to show date acted upon for any future reference. Additionally unique for being the only known St. Christopher UPU member cover to a non-UPU member commanding a 6d rate (St. Christopher was full member from JY 1 1879, Turks Islands did not join the UPU until JA 1 1881). An exceptional showpiece conveyed through British Colonial Post Offices during the second year of French reoccupation. On NO 26 1781 St. Eustatius was captured by the French under Marquis De Bouille, St. Martin was seized the following day, and Saba and St. Bartholomew soon after. The latter island remained French until 1784 when it was suddenly sold by one of Louis XVI's ministers to Sweden in exchange for trading rights in the Swedish port of Gothenburg. In 1877 France bought back the island from Sweden for 400,000 francs with the agreement ratifield in Stockholm NO 9 1877 and in Paris MR 4 1878. On MR 16 1878 the French officially reoccupied St. Barthelemy. A census in 1875 indicated there were around 2,300 inhabitants on the island. (Note: this is similar to the expectation of how a Cayman Island cover for the period would travel, if one existed, and equally as rare). £12500 |
;) ;) ;) | SPAIN/GIBRALTAR combination requiring Forwarding Agent, Gibraltar postal history (Ex MOELLER) 1873 entire headed "Cadiz 20th June 1873" to Poole, England with "p. Archbold Johnston & Power Gibraltar 24 June 1873" manuscript forwarding on reverse with GB QV 2d strip of three affixed and pmk'd "A26" with GIBRALTAR A/JU 24 73. No Spanish charge as sent in another cover to Gibraltar from Cadiz. Very rare as such, Ex MOELLER. The Carlist Civil War caused intermittent interruptions to the overland route to the UK, and the maritime route from Gibraltar became a more reliable alternative but required the use of a Forwarding Agent in Gibraltar. (Of the Gibraltar/Spain adhesive combination covers currently seen 15 are ingoing to Cadiz, and only 4 are outgoing, all to Malta). £750 |
;) ;) | The UNIQUE QV 1d red INVERTED "S" cover, Montserrat postal history (Ex THOMPSON) 1886 commercial cover to Mrs. Witham, Basseterre, St. Kitts with accepted by Post Office and correctly tied diagonally bisected QV 1d red (SG.8ca) with full QV 1d red with INVERTED "S" (SG.8a) alongside partly pmk'd identically inked "A08" with both MONTSERRAT A/JA 23 86 despatch and ST. KITTS C/JA 29 86 alongside address panel. A further 1d stamp, making up the 2½d inter-island rate, was lost during transit or subsequently removed, peripheral faults. Ex THOMPSON (1977). This Perf. 14 bisect Cat.£1300 on cover, Inverted "S" Cat.£1000 and rated from x12 on cover. Sir Edward Bacon whilst examining a full sheet of 120 stamps established that the Setting was twice arranged in five horizontal rows with the inverted "S" appearing Stamp No.3 in both 2nd and 7th rows. £2500 |
;) ;) | HRH Prince Alfred round-world-voyage 12 days prior assassins bullet, New South Wales postal history 1868 (MR 1) concession rate cover, signed by Francis H. Poore Commanding Officer, to London from Sgt. Wm. Grimes 61 Company Royal Marines H.M.S. "Galatea" - Sydney with 3 x GB QV 1d red Plate 93 pmk'd mail-boat "A99" with London AP 26 68 arrival. Perf. faults and edge soiling. Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Victoria's second son (1844-1900) was never expected to be King and joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman aged 12. In 1867 he commissioned and commanded the 'Galatea' for a voyage around the world which would include the first royal visit to Australia. On FE 26 1867 the 'Galatea' left Plymouth Sound but the tour was abruptly curtailed in Sydney New South Wales on MR 12 1868 when Henry James O'Farrell, a Fenian sympathiser, attempted to assassinate the Prince - the Duke fell forwards on his hands and knees exclaiming "Good God! I am shot; my back is broken". His Royal Highness was tended back to health by six recently arrived nurses trained by Florence Nightingale. Full details of the voyage can be found in the 487 page book entitled "The Cruise of H.M.S. Galatea" by John Milner and Oswald Walters Brierly. Prince Alfred was the first serious stamp collector in the royal family. He sold his collection to King Edward VII who shared his enthusiasm, who in turn gave it to his son King George V. Keenly expanded by the latter the two collections became the basis of what is now the Royal Philatelic Collection. £1750 |
;) ;) ;) ;) ;) | EARLIEST RECORDED LETTER written at LOUBIERE during the SEVEN YEARS WAR, Dominica postal history 1759 entire letter datelined at base of second page "Loubiere, Dom/que Le 8 Avril 1759" addressed to Capt. Brough of the Marines on board Her Majesty's Ship Panther (St. Rupert's Bay, Dominica). Contents in French, signed by G. Mayne St. Luce, discuss the increased prices of provisions which prevent him fulfilling Capt. Brough's order, remarking in particular on the scarcity and expensiveness of sea fish; he is, however, able to forward a cheese. Remarkably fine condition and a rare internal mail survivor with unusual content. (The previous earliest letter was written Dominica NO 10 1763 ex Nabarro 3/1975 R£90, Sugarman 3/1994 R£552 during the first British occupation as Dominica ceded to Britain by the Treaty of Paris FE 10 1762, the French settlers retaining their estates). H.M.S. Panther, a 60 gun ship under Captain Molyneux Shuldham, was part of the fleet under Commodore Moore which captured Guadeloupe on JA 24 1759, during the Seven Years' War. Several ships, including H.M.S. Panther, were then detached from the fleet and proceeded to Prince Rupert's Bay at Dominica, in order to observe and follow the newly arrived French fleet which contained troops for the relief of the French islands in the West Indies. Mail from this theatre of war with campaign connection is virtually unknown. (Loubiere is in the south of the island near Roseau; Prince Rupert's Bay is in the north). £1850 |
;) | THE UNIQUE REGISTERED OFFICER'S CONCESSION RATE COVER, Bermuda postal history 1868 countersigned Officers Letter to Henry Moore, Glasgow from Asst. Surgeon Don, R.E. with QV 2d x 2 (one defective), 6d (6d privilege rate postage + 4d registration, still 2d cheaper than the civilian 1/- rate) pmk'd B/1 with fine strikes black sans-serif "REGISTERED" (two known, a chunkier seriffed type used in later years) and STG cds dated 4 JU 68 showing PAID/LIVERPOOL/BR. PACKET JU 29 68 transit. This is the only known registered officer's concession rate cover for the whole of the British West Indies group. Ex URWICK, LUDINGTON, PITTS. The Officers priviledge rate was introduced JU 1 1867 and withdrawn DE 31 1869. The Bermuda based Royal Engineers (1863-68) created from scratch what was the longest circuit in the world for the British Army's military telegraph system with single overhead roadside wire connecting all the strategic forts. Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Nugent was responsible for the designing and construction of the western defences of the island. £1825 |
;) ;) ;) | EARLIEST LETTER FROM OROPOUCHE, TRINIDAD postal history 1863 cover marked "Oropouche" from Robert Greenidge (FE 10) to Carrey & Co., Port of Spain with 1861 (1d) rose-red (SG.52) tied oval of bars "2" (Type 0.3 used San Fernando), backstamped 2/FE 13 63 and 1/FE 16 63 cds. Michael Rego explains that the Post Office at Oropouche in the early 1860's was only manned by a Police Chief Constable, no deliveries were made, these only applied at the town of Port of Spain and San Fernando, the latter having one postmaster and two delivery men. Therefore a letter posted at Oropouche was taken by a government contracted rowing boat to the passing gulf steamer off Oropouche on its was to San Fernando where the postmaster cancelled the stamp. Prior to proper jetties being built the row boats picked up the mail with any passengers about a half mile from the land to the steamer. £650 |